Russell Brand Found Guilty of Rape and Sexual Assault in London Trial
Russell Brand has been found guilty of rape and sexual assault by a jury in London, and the British comedian and actor now faces what the judge called "a significant custodial term."
On Thursday, Nov. 5, a jury at Southwark Crown Court convicted Brand, 51, of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He was found not guilty of two other rape charges and one count of attempted indecent assault. Brand had pleaded not guilty to all seven charges, which involved six women and alleged incidents between 1999 and 2009.
Bail Revoked Ahead of Sentencing
Judge Joel Bennathan revoked Brand's bail after the verdicts were read. "Given the verdict on count six at least, obviously a custodial sentence of some length will result," the judge said, adding that the outcome would "inevitably" be "a significant custodial term," TheWrap reported.
"My current view is that I therefore have to remand you into custody," Bennathan told him. Brand is set to be sentenced on Monday. His wife, Laura Gallacher, was in court for the verdict.
The jury of eight men and four women deliberated for more than eight hours over two days, according to CBS News, at the end of a trial that began in October.
What the Jury Decided
Brand was convicted of raping a woman at his home in the Hampstead area of London in 2009. He was also found guilty of groping a woman at a bar party in London's Soho neighborhood in 2004, sexually assaulting a woman who worked at the radio station Choice FM in 2004 or 2005, and sexually assaulting a woman in 2009 while she was working on a promotion.
The six women who testified are entitled to lifelong anonymity under U.K. law. According to The Jerusalem Post, the women did not know each other. They came forward to police after a 2023 TV documentary and newspaper investigation in which several women made anonymous allegations against Brand.
During the trial, prosecutors described Brand as a ruthless, calculating and manipulative "sexual predator."
Brand Maintained His Innocence
Brand denied all of the allegations, saying the encounters were "consensual, reinvented or re-imagined." On the witness stand, he acknowledged that he was obsessed with sex as a young man and led a promiscuous life, but insisted he never forced anyone. "Consent is absolutely non-negotiable," he testified.
He also told jurors the case had devastated his life and his family. "My entire life has been consumed by these events, these allegations, these accusations," he said.
His defense team pointed out that the women came forward years after the alleged assaults, following the 2023 documentary. Brand suggested the reports were a coordinated attack tied to his rise as an online wellness influencer and political commentator. Some of the women in the documentary said they only felt ready to speak after reporters approached them.
In a video message posted earlier in the case, Brand said he had been "a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile," but denied being a rapist.
His father, Ron Brand, told the BBC he was "bemused and shocked" by the verdict. "It's devastating," he said.
Police Praise Women's "Courage"
Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy of London's Metropolitan Police said the conviction was "a testament to the extraordinary courage, resilience and determination of the women." He said Brand "used his influence, status and fame to exploit and sexually offend against women," adding that no one is above the law, no matter how famous or powerful.
The Metropolitan Police opened its investigation in September 2023 after the allegations became public. Brand was first charged in April 2025, and prosecutors added another rape count and another sexual assault count in December 2025.
From Comedy Star to Courtroom
Brand rose to fame in the early 2000s as a TV host and with his own BBC radio show, becoming known for his risqué stand-up comedy and public struggles with drugs and alcohol. He went on to star in Hollywood films including "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "Get Him to the Greek," and was briefly married to pop star Katy Perry.
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